Euphorbia bombensis

Jacquin

Enum. Syst. Pl., 22. 1760.

Common names: Dixie sandmat
Synonyms: Chamaesyce ammannioides (Kunth) Small C. bombensis (Jacquin) Dugand C. ingallsii Small Euphorbia ammannioides Kunth
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 12. Treatment on page 261. Mentioned on page 258, 262, 265, 268, 284.

Herbs, usually annual, rarely perennial, with taproot. Stems prostrate or slightly ascending, 10–40 cm, glabrous. Leaves opposite; stipules distinct, linear-subulate, usually divided into 3 linear segments, 1–2 mm, glabrous; petiole 1–2 mm, glabrous; blade oblong or elliptic-oblong, 4–15 × 2–3 mm, base asymmetric to nearly symmetric, obtuse, margins entire, apex acute to mucronate, surfaces green to reddish flushed, glabrous; only midvein conspicuous. Cyathia solitary or in small, cymose clusters at distal nodes; peduncle 0.5–3 mm. Involucre obconic-campanulate, 1.2–1.6 × 1.5–1.7 mm, glabrous; glands 4, green to red, slightly concave, elliptic, oblong, or subcircular, 0.3–0.5 × 0.4–0.6 mm; appendages white or pink, semilunate, fringing edge of gland, sometimes rudimentary, (0–) 0.1–0.5 (–0.7) × 0.5–0.8 mm, distal margin crenate to entire. Staminate flowers 5–16. Pistillate flowers: ovary glabrous; styles 0.2–0.3 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length. Capsules broadly ovoid, 2–2.1 × 2.3–2.5 mm, glabrous; columella 1.5–2 mm. Seeds ashy white, plumply ovoid, terete to bluntly subangled in cross-section, 1.5–1.9 × 1–1.2 mm, smooth or minutely pitted, with smooth brown line from top to bottom on adaxial side.


Phenology: Flowering and fruiting spring–fall.
Habitat: Coastal dunes and sandy habitats.
Elevation: 0–30 m.

Distribution

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Ala., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., N.C., S.C., Tex., Va., Mexico, Central America, n South America (Venezuela)

Discussion

Euphorbia bombensis is similar and closely related to E. cumulicola, E. geyeri, and E. polygonifolia. It differs notably from E. polygonifolia in its smaller, plumply ovoid seeds. L. C. Wheeler (1941) suggested that where E. bombensis and E. polygonifolia are sympatric, E. bombensis grows farther away from the shore. Euphorbia bombensis is usually distinguished from E. cumulicola by the latter's smaller, isomorphic leaves that lack any fleshiness, smaller seeds, and diffuse growth habit. Euphorbia bombensis differs from E. geyeri in its usually shorter, less conspicuous involucral gland appendages and its geographic restriction to the coastal plain. However, Wheeler pointed out that plants of E. bombensis from Texas have more or less conspicuous involucral gland appendages. Examination of specimens confirmed that E. bombensis occasionally has conspicuous involucral gland appendages, and because of this, E. bombensis and E. geyeri are difficult to distinguish in Texas. This clade of closely related, sand and dune specialists requires further study.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"connate" is not a number. "distinct" is not a number."/2" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Euphorbia bombensis"
acute;mucronate +
Victor W. Steinmann +, Jeffery J. Morawetz +, Paul E. Berry +, Jess A. Peirson +  and Ya Yang +
Jacquin +
asymmetric to nearly +
Anisophyllum +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> - 1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> +
elliptic-oblong;oblong +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> - 0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> - 0.21 cm2.1 mm <br />0.0021 m <br /> +
0.23 cm2.3 mm <br />0.0023 m <br /> - 0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> - 0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> +
Dixie sandmat +
in small , cymose clusters +  and solitary +
crenate +  and entire +
Ala. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, La. +, Miss. +, N.C. +, S.C. +, Tex. +, Va. +, Mexico +, Central America +  and n South America - Venezuela +
0–30 m. +
pistillate +  and staminate +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> - 0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br /> +
pink +  and white +
0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br /> - 0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> - 0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br /> +
green +  and red +
0.3mm;0.5mm +
subtending +
subcircular +, oblong +, elliptic +  and concave +
0.4mm +  and 0.6mm +
Coastal dunes and sandy habitats. +
axillary +  and terminal +
0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br /> - 0.16 cm1.6 mm <br />0.0016 m <br /> +
obconic-campanulate +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> - 0.17 cm1.7 mm <br />0.0017 m <br /> +
caducous +, deciduous +  and persistent +
bractlike +
top;bottom +
palmate +  and pinnate +
toothed +  and entire +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> - 0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> +
connate;distinct +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> - 0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> +
Flowering and fruiting spring–fall. +
Enum. Syst. Pl., +
ashy white +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> - 0.19 cm1.9 mm <br />0.0019 m <br /> +
pitted +  and smooth +
terete +  and bluntly subangled +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> - 0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br /> +
free +, connate +  and distinct +
ascending +  and prostrate +
flattened +  and terete +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> - 40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br /> +
interpetiolar +
divided +  and linear-subulate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> - 0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> +
connate +  and distinct +
0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br /> - ? +  and 0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> - ? +
green +  and reddish flushed +
Chamaesyce ammannioides +, C. bombensis +, C. ingallsii +  and Euphorbia ammannioides +
Euphorbia bombensis +
Euphorbia sect. Anisophyllum +
species +
axillary +  and terminal +
perennial +  and annual +
10 +, 9 +, 8 +, 7 +  and 6 +